I didn't know Ellen Dittrebrandt, but I'd often see her around town. At over six feet tall, she stood out almost as much as one of her bright, floral paintings that always caught my eye at one of the local restaurants.

I knew she was an artist, but I had no idea she also worked as a firefighter. And I wasn't surprised that she was a hardcore athlete, since our town of Hood River, Oregon and the outdoor playground of the Columbia River Gorge that surrounds it is a Mecca for bikers, hikers, windsurfers, kiteboarders, kayakers, and all manner of thrill-seekers.

Sadly, I can't say that I was surprised to hear that she was killed a few weeks ago after being hit by a car while biking along a busy highway. And after learning that a drowsy driver ran off the road and hit her early on a Sunday morning, one of my first thoughts was that current technology could have perhaps kept Ellen from being killed. It could also have prevented the driver from having to deal with the consequences and guilt that follows such a tragedy, as well as the thousands of roadway death that occur each year. And maybe eventually all of them.

While dramatically reducing deaths that result from car crashes may seem like a pipe dream, it's already happening, thanks to technology. And the next wave of technology is poised to reduce highway fatalities even further.

For example, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) began testing cars in its new small overlap crash test several years ago, which replicates the front corner of a car colliding with another vehicle or striking an object such as a utility pole or tree, just a handful of large vehicles protected passengers from serious injury. But now even small cars like the recently redesigned Honda Fit are passing the tough new test, earning it a Top Safety Pick rating for its overall performance. And this is not an anomaly: IIHS plans to release a new study next month that reveals no deaths occurred in a record number of vehicles from 2009 to 2012.

While passive-safety systems help protect car occupants after a crash, the next generation of active-safety, driver-assistance systems can prevent crashes from occurring in the first place. Together, recent advances in passive and active safety improvements could even drop the number of highway deaths to zero.

As part of its Vision Zero Initiative, Volvo plans to reduce traffic deaths in its vehicles to nil by 2020. And Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn wrote earlier this year that "the automobile finds itself at a significant turning point. With the help of policymakers providing clear regulatory oversight," he added, "technologies could lead to 'zero-fatality' roads within our lifetimes."

"It's a tall order," Russ Rader, a spokesman for IIHS, told CNBC. "But the goal is definitely feasible. We're already seeing this happen." In fact, it's been happening for a while, and with policymakers playing a critical role. The federal government early on mandated two active-safety systems, anti-lock braking systems and electronic stability control, which drivers now rely on. And they're "having a stunning effect in reducing crashes and crash deaths," Rader noted.

Driver-assist systems such as blind-spot detection and lane-departure warnings that alert drivers to potential dangers are becoming available on more vehicles. And systems that take control of braking and steering, like lane-departure and forward-collision prevention, and that were once only available on high-end cars, are now trickling down to less-expensive vehicles.

When I write about driver assist technology, I often see comments from readers claiming that such systems make people lazy and they should "learn to drive." And they usually add that they trust their own skill over technology. I disagree. Camera and sensors are always on the lookout and, while they may malfunction (although it's highly unlikely), they don't get distracted or tired.

And the same technology may have saved Ellen Dittrebrandt had the driver who hit her had it in his car.

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About the Author

Doug Newcomb is a recognized expert on the subject of car technology within the auto industry and among the automotive and general media, and a frequent speaker at automotive and consumer electronics industry events. Doug began his career in 1988 at the car stereo trade publication Mobile Electronics, before serving as editor of the leading consume... See Full Bio

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